Saija Tenhunen

Visiting PhD Student

Current Research

I am researching how to balance genetic gain and diversity in dairy cattle breeding schemes in the genomic era. 

Goals

  • Early indicators of changes in rates of inbreeding
  • Impact of inbreeding on lifespan of dairy cows
  • Management of diversity in a multi-stage breeding scheme using Optimal Contribution Selection (OCS)
  • Simulation of dairy breeding schemes to gain experience with the above topics

Background

I did my MSc in animal breeding & genetics in Norway (NMBU), and since 2018 I have been mainly working with practical OCS implementation in dairy cattle breeding schemes. In my spare time, I work with dog and horse genetics and give lectures.

Saija Tenhunen

Specific Interests

  • Inbreeding management
  • Genetic Diversity
  • Small populations

Programming language and software

  • R
  • Python (learning)
  • SQL

Hobbies and personal interests

Dogs

I currently have only one dog, but I have had dogs for over 20 years, and I have been very active in different types of dog related activities. These days we mainly go for small hikes.

Photography

I used to work in the movie industry, and I have always loved taking photos. These days I take photos from our hikes and do sport photography.

American Football

I play and photograph American Football. I play in defensive line and here in Scotland my team is Caledonia Chaos.

Relevant Links

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